Telephone signal device.



U. M. BOYD.

TELEPHONE SIGNAL DEVICE.

APPLICATION mm ram/11.1916.

Patented Jan. 9, 1917.

j y i INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

us ca. I'Numurnm. WAsNlnmmN. n. c.

I URA M. BOYD, OF DALLAS, TEXAS.

TELEPHONE SIGNAL DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Jan. 9, 1917.

7 Application flied May 11, 1916. Serial No. 96,738.

To all whom it may concern Be it-known that LURA M. BOYD, citizen of theUnited States, residing at Dallas, in the-county of Dallas and State ofTexas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in TelephoneSignal Devices, of whichthe following is a specification.

Where telephones are used in public places considerable annoyance isoften occasioned by persons who hold lengthy conversations and otherwisekeep the telephone in use for a period in excess of that usuallyallowed, thus depriving others and interfering with the service.

For use'in -sfuchp'laces I-l1ave invented means for displaying a signaloperated by the telephone when the receiver is moved from thehook-switch; said signal being of such a character as to attract theattention of the party aboutt't o" use the phone and alson'otifying suchparty as to the limit of time he may use the telephone.

In carrying out the invention a support is provided and arranged to beattached to a telephone stand. A sliding member is carried inthe supportso as to' rest on the switch-hook of the stand and to be elevatedthereby when the "receiver is removed from the hook. Arms have theirlower ends pivoted to the upper end of the sliding member and arenormally concealed by the support, but when the sliding member iselevated said arms are thrownoutto each side as a signal. A suitablelegend may be displayed on the arms. The sliding member is arranged toretract the" arms when the receiver is replaced on the hook-switch.

It is quite evident. that various structures I might be evolved forcarrying out this invention and the form described and shown is merelyan example.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of a telephone stand with theinvention attached thereto, Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the device,'Fig. '3 is aside elevation of the arms and a vertical section of thesupport, and Fig. 4 is a crosssectional detail.

In the drawings the numeral 1 designates a tubular support exhibiting arectangular shape in cross-section. A sliding bar or plunger 2 ismounted in the support and is provided with a reduced lower end 3 ,eX

tending from a shoulde 4. which normally rests on a flange 5 at thebottom. of the support, said flange and shoulder limiting the downwardmovementof the plunger. I wish to make clear thatthe plunger and thesupport may be correlated in other ways audit is not necessary that thesupport assume the form of a tube, but its oflice is to provide asupport with which the plunger is slidably related. 7

I At the top of the support an enlargement or shield 6'is provided.Target arms 7 are mounted behind the support with their enlargedouterends or targets 8 normally concealed by the shield 6. These armshave their lower ends pivoted on a pin 9 passing through the upper endof the plunger. The arms normally stand one behind the other and eachhas a notch 10 cut in from one side so as to straddle a stud 11 on theback of the support, The support has'sides 12 which terminate a shortdistance of the top of the plunger when the same is in its normal orlowered position.

1 The sides 12 hold the arms upright when A clamp member 13 is fastenedto the I lower portion of the support and extends laterally therefrom.The clamp is formed with a curved portion 16 constructed to fit the neckof a telephone stand and ears Li project from this portion. The clamp ispositioned so that when mounted on the stand the plunger 3 will have itslower end 2 resting on the switch-hook of the telephone stand as shownin Fig. 1, the support assuming an upright position. The clamp isfastened by a bolt 15 passed through the ears.

hen the receiver is removed from the switch-hook and the latter springsupward, it will elevate the plunger 3 as shown in dotted lines inFig. 1. When the plunger is elevated the arms 7 will be thrown outlaterally which will attract the attention of the I person about to usethe telephone. A suitable legend stating the limit of time for which thetelephone maybe used is displayed on the arms and their targets 8, in

lent device used. The target or the entire arm may be .finished in adistinguishing color so as to be more conspicuous. It is to beunderstood that the invention may be embodied in variousconstructions'so long as a relatively fixed support is'correlated with amovable member whichis displaced by the switch-hook of a telephone standto display a-signal deviceon said stand.

WVhat I claim is:

1. The combination with a telephone stand and the switch-hook thereof,ofa signal device comprising a support attached to the stand, a movablemember carriedby the support and displaced upwardly by the switchhook,and a signal element normally dormant displayed by themovable member.

2." The combination with a'telephone stand.

and the switch-hook thereof, of a signal device comprising a supportattached to the stand, a plunger correlated with the support and restingon the switch-hook whereby it is displaced upward by the hook when thesameisoperated, and a target normally concealed by the support andhaving connection with the=-plunger whereby it is displaced laterally bythe plunger when the latter is displaced upwardly.

3. In a signal device for telephone stands, a support having means forattaching it to a telephone stand, and a normally dormant signalelementcarried by the support and constructed to be displayed only whendisplaced laterally.

4. Ina signal device for telephone stands, a supporthaving means forattaching to a telephone stand, a relatively movable member correlatedwith the support, and a normally concealed signal displayed when themovable member is displaced with relation to the support.

.5. In a signal device for telephone stands, an upright support, alaterally projecting clamp disposed on the support, a plunger mounted onthe support, and a pair of target arms pivotedto the plunger, and meanson the support for displacing the arms in opposite directions from eachother as the plunger is moved upward.

; In testimony whereof I aflix my signa ture.

URA M. BOYD.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

1 v Washington, I). 6.

